Ocean at last Newlywed cyclists finish cross-country trip

Saturday

Aug 16, 2014 at 3:15 AM

By Casey Conleycconley@fosters.com

PORTSMOUTH — Two months ago, newlyweds Brendan Flavin and Stefanie Carrabba left Woodinville, Wash., on two wheels and headed east.

On Friday, after cycling more than 3,800 miles, the Portsmouth residents arrived at Peirce Island where about 30 friends and family were waiting. After hugs and handshakes, they dipped their road-worn tires into the ocean and shared a kiss, marking the journey’s symbolic end.

“It’s definitely bittersweet,” said Stefanie, 31. “We’ve had a good time over the past two months, and have really enjoyed seeing the country in a very different way.”

“It was also our honeymoon, so it was a cool way to spend our first couple months of marriage,” she continued.

Their arrival was also a relief to both sets of parents.

“I am very pleased they arrived safe and sound,” said Catherine Casey-Flavin, of Eliot, Maine. “What a wonderful way to start a life together.”

Brendan and Stefanie married June 7 in Kittery, and left for the West Coast soon afterward. They began the ride on June 16 from the Redhook Brewery in Woodinville, Wash.

Over the next eight weeks, they passed through mountains, high desert, badlands and grasslands. They suffered blown tires, got lost and their share of bad weather. But they also encountered countless friendly people willing to lend a hand, share some food and offer a place to sleep.

“The best part for me was just seeing how kind everyone was to us out there,” said Brendan, 31. “Despite all of the negativity you read about and see in the news, there are a lot of happy people doing good things for each other.”

The couple camped many nights, but also stayed in hostels and occasional hotels. Nights with host families were the most memorable.

“We cooked dinner with their families and had movie nights with their kids,” Stefanie said. “It’s amazing to see there are a lot of good people out there.”

The idea for a cross-country ride came after two friends completed the feat last year to raise money for Alzheimer’s research.

Brendan and Stefanie were looking to push themselves and decided to undertake a similar trip. They raised close to $2,400 for multiple sclerosis, although with last-minute donations hoped to surpass their $3,000 goal.

The couple saw vast swaths of the United States and Ontario, Canada, from their bike saddles but enjoyed North Dakota’s varying landscapes the most. Ontario which they crossed between Michigan and New York, was also memorable. The couple documented their trip on a blog, www.pedalingbs.com.

With the ride now over, the real world awaits. Stefanie took a leave of absence from her job and is due to return in a couple weeks. Brendan, who left his job at a local digital marketing firm before the trip, said his next chapter is still unwritten.

After posing for the last photo, the couple got back on their bikes for a five-mile ride to Redhook in Portsmouth, which marked the trip’s official end.

This time, they had company: A group of cyclist friends joined them for the final leg.